Hebmann lehmann



(No Model.)

H. LEHMANN. ADJUSTABLE CLASP FOR ALBUMS.

Patented Apr. 26, 1887.

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U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEBMANN LEHMANN, on OFFENBAGH-ON-THE MAIN, PRUSSIA, GERMANY.

ADJUSTABLE CLASP FOR ALBUMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.361,766, dated April 261887.

Application filed December 27, 1886. Serial No. 222,592. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMANN LEHMANN, a subject of the King of Prussia,German Emperor, and arcsident of Offenbach-on-the- Main, in the Kingdomof Prussia, German Empire, have invented new and useful 1mprovements inan Adjustable Clasp for Al bums, of which the following is aspecification.

Adjustable olasps which may closely shut big albums-as well as thinones, or an album when it is filled with photographs, or when it is notfilled, are-well known; but it is very difficult to obtain as fine andas manifold an adjustment of the sliding shutter as is neces sary. Toobtain such fine adjustment of the clasp is the object of myimprovements.

The improvements by which this end is ob tained consist in thecombination of a coarselyscaled rack with two catches, the teeth ofwhich stand in different positions relatively to the rack. The twocatches engage with the same rack. A fastening of this kind isrepresented in the drawings.

Figures 1 and 4 are vertical sections through the line 6 f,- but thesection is only made through the adjustable sliding shutter S and itstube t. The other part of the clasp (the box 12) is shown in this figureby side view. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, a b, of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa vertical cross-section, c (2, showing the way in which the clasp issecured to the cover of the album. Fig. 5 is a side view of Fig. 3.

Similarletters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The angular metal pieces to and w are fastened to the side edges of thetwo covers d and d. The angular piece w is provided with the clasp-knobh, and on the angular piece 10 are the two attachment-hinges l and Z. Inthese hinges Z and Z is a rotating tubular piece, 1', to which the box1), Figs. 2, 8, is fastened. The tubular piece 1 contains the movabletubular piece 7'. The tubular piece 1" is always pressed outward by aspiral spring, 8, and provided with the pressing-knob a. For the sake ofsymmetry, a similar non-acting or dummy pressingknob, a,is fastened tothe attach ment- 7 hinge Z.

which the clasp-knob h is put on shutting the album, Fig. 3. The slidingshutterSbears the rack z and the two tubes tt. These springcases t t,together with the sliding shutter S, are always pressed upward by thespiral springs 8 s.

t are guide-pins. On the box 6 are two or more catch-levers, q and g,which may oscillate round the pin 00. The catch-levers qq' are setagainst each other in such a way that the teethof them stand indifferent positions. The difference is equal to about half the distancebetween the teeth of the rack z. The free ends of the catch-levers qqare guided by aslit, z, of the tubular pieces 1- and a";

It is evident that in the place of two, three and even more catch-leverscan be used for the purpose of adjusting the sliding shutter S finer andfiner and at shorter intervals.

The way in which the sliding shutter is adjusted is as follows: Bypressing on the knob 01. the tubular piece 1' is shoved into the tubularpiece 2'. The latter presses with the point 1' against the catch-leversq g, by which means the catch-levers q q are forced out of the teeth ofthe rack. Thesprings s then press the sliding shutter S upward, and theshutter obtains a position adapted to large albums. If I wish to shutthe album more tightly, I press the sliding shutter S down and at thesame time the knob n. Now,I am able to move the shutter S against thebox, b as much as the album permits it, and one of the pawls q or q willthen hold the shutter by means of the rack 2. By the double pawls qor qI may change the position of the shutter by the length of half a toothof the rack, because then the other pawl ears into the rack 2.

It is evident that by using two catch-levers, q and q, with. theirpawlsset apart, as above mentioned, the adjusting of the sliding shutterS is finer than by using only one pawl. I may choose a very coarse pitchof the rack z,so that the shutter is fixed very surely by the big pitch,and I may apply two or more pawls gearing into the rack in such a waythat the teeth of these pawls lie in different positions relative to therack.

The fastening or clasp just described can be used for all books, thethickness of which increases in time by the things put into them, as isin particular the case with photo-albums, stamp-albums, and similarcollection-books.

What I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

1. In an album-clasp, the combination of a rack, z, with two or morecatch-levers, q and q, having each a pawl placed at unequal distancesfrom their ends, one of these elements (the two pawls or the rack) beingattached to the sliding shutter S, the other being attached to the boxI), for the purpose of adj usting the clasp as finely as possible.

2. The combination of the sliding shutter S,

HERMANN LEHM ANN.

Witnesses:

ALVESTO S. HoGUE, JEANGRUND.

